Detailed guides and helpful connections that enable you to plan and realize your relocation to Mexico

Mexperience provides in-depth insights and local knowledge with extensive articles, guides, and cross-references and connections to help you discover more of Mexico, consider your lifestyle options, define your intentions, make a plan, and help you to avoid making material mistakes with your Mexico lifestyle plans.

Our guides are written by people who know Mexico intimately, are continually revised and updated—and are free to access.

Mexperience helps you through every step of the journey

Our detailed guides and insights offer you complete information throughout every step of your journey:

• Discovering the benefits and opportunities Mexico offers to live and work or retire.
• Detailed insights that help you to consider whether Mexico is right for you and your partner—and family if relevant.
• When you’ve determined that Mexico is right for you, we offer lots of practical advice to help you plan your lifestyle in Mexico.
• Mexperience also helps you to plan your move, settle-in to Mexico, cultivate your social and community networks and helps you learn how adapt to the country and its culture.
• When you’re settled here, our up to date articles and monthly newsletter help you to cultivate a fruitful home life in Mexico.
• Our homestead articles offer practical advice to help you manage your home in Mexico and its dwelling spaces.
• Our insights and local knowledge also help if you’re living in Mexico now but want to revisit your intentions and need guidance to help you settle, adapt, and reform your plans.

Take the next step: start here

Mexperience offers extensive insights, local knowledge, and connections to help you plan and realize a relocation to Mexico, whether you’re single, a couple, or a family.

Begin your journey

Our Mexico Living & Lifestyles guide connects you to in-depth articles and information about living in Mexico. It’s continually updated, helping you to make considered choices and useful connections.

Help with lifestyle planning

Our regularly-updated section about Lifestyle Planning in Mexico shares insights to help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle choices in Mexico.

Calculate your living costs

Our detailed guide to the cost of living in Mexico helps you calculate a personalized budget based on your life stage and lifestyle choices.

Consider places to live in Mexico

We publish guides to help you consider places to live in Mexico, whether you come to live, work or retire.

Obtain your Mexico residency permit

Our detailed guide to applying for residency in Mexico shows you every step needed to qualify and apply for legal residency in Mexico

Real estate and property rental in Mexico

We publish a detailed guide to real estate in Mexico that shares practical insights when you’re buying, owning, renting, and selling property here.  We recommend you rent a house first before you buy, unless you’re familiar with the area you’re moving to.

Learn how to keep in touch when you’re in Mexico

Our comprehensive guides describe how you can keep in touch when you’re in Mexico.  Our local insights include learning about Mexico cell phone plans, how to dial phones, connecting to internet services including satellite services, and also learn about post and couriers… and the cost of utilities and communications.

Cultivate your home life

When you’ve made the move and you’re living here, our regularly updated articles about cultivating a fruitful home life in Mexico will give you insights, inspiration, and ideas to make the most of your everyday lifestyle.

Manage your money & finances in Mexico

We publish detailed, updated, information about managing your finances in Mexico, including bank accounts, money exchange, and money transfers.

Homestead care and management

Whether you’re renting a home or have purchased a property here, our regularly updated guides help you manage your home and dwelling spaces in Mexico, with tips and local knowledge to keep them well maintained and secure for you and your family.

Learning and improving your Spanish

We encourage you to learn Spanish to help you make the most of your experiences in Mexico.  We connect you to language courses, and our in-depth PinPoint Spanish series helps you to learn about the nuances of language usage in Mexico.

Driving, road trips and running a car in Mexico

Our guides and articles about driving and taking road trips in Mexico help you to prepare your longer road trips as well as dealing with everyday driving matters.

Free Monthly Mexico Newsletter

Sign-up to our free monthly newsletter about Mexico that is filled with inspiration, meaningful knowledge, helpful connections, and tips for better living, lifestyle, and leisure in Mexico.

Discover even more of Mexico

Our Discover Mexico section provides a constantly updated stream of articles and guides that share knowledge and keep you updated about opportunities in Mexico.

Moving to Mexico to cultivate a new life and lifestyle

Our continually-updated guide to living and lifestyles in Mexico helps anyone exploring prospects for living and retirement in Mexico. The guide provides practical insights, incisive local knowledge, and meaningful guidance that helps you to discover opportunities, consider your choices, and make informed decisions.

Learn about how Mexperience helps you to plan and realize your lifestyle in Mexico through every stage of the journey—as you make your plans and choices, when you make your move, and Mexperience continues to help when you’re living in Mexico, with insights and guidance about settling-in and cultivating your new lifestyle.

Our guides help you to discover what different lifestyles Mexico offer, identify opportunities of interest to you, weight up the compromises, consider your options, and plot a course based on the things that are important to you. They help you to begin weaving together the principal components that can create a workable and realistic lifestyle plan.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Defining your intentions for moving to Mexico
• Matching your location with your lifestyle needs
• Discovering potential places to live in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Two calculations are required

There are two calculations you will need to make to determine the financial means you will need to have at your disposal to retire in Mexico:

• the first calculation is related to the financial requirements to qualify for a residency permit in Mexico, and
• the second calculation is related to your real living costs in Mexico that will be determined according to your individual circumstances, personal choices, and lifestyle plans.

Income or savings/investments required to obtain a residency permit

The financial requirements to qualify for a residency permit have risen in recent years.

Monthly income —v— savings/investments to qualify

Unless you intend to lead a ‘high octane’ lifestyle, the monthly income required to qualify for residency in Mexico is considerably higher than the typical costs of living in Mexico.

A corollary of this is that some people who want to retire in Mexico don’t have sufficient monthly income to qualify but do have sufficient income to live here.

If your pension income doesn’t meet the current income requirements, you can instead qualify based your savings/investments—and many people who have been saving throughout their lives will have sufficient savings and investments to qualify, even if their monthly income does not meet the minimum threshold.

The links in the box below contain detailed information to guide you about this. The include information about the current amounts of income or savings/investments you need to demonstrate to qualify for residency under the auspice of ‘economic solvency’ as well as other routes to residency besides ‘economic solvency.’

Income required to sustain your retirement in Mexico

The second calculation you’ll need to make concerns working out your real living costs in Mexico, and these will be determined by your individual circumstances, your intentions, and your lifestyle choices.

The question: “How much does it cost to live in Mexico?” has no specific answer because the amount of money you need to live and sustain yourself here will depend on an assortment of factors, the most common of which include:

• where in Mexico you choose to live: the most popular places also tend to be the most expensive to live in—from rents and house prices to everyday living expenses;
• whether you will rent or buy a home in Mexico;
• whether you have homeowner association fees to pay in addition to other expenses;
• the state of your general health and well-being: healthcare insurance premiums are higher for those with previous ailments, and while medications are less expensive in Mexico, they are still a cost and might have to be paid out of pocket;
• whether you’ll have a car or other vehicle(s) in Mexico to run and service;
• how often you travel, including trips back to your home country;
• what lifestyle choices you make including things like how and where you shop, how often you eat out, how much alcohol you consume (alcohol prices have been rising steadily in recent years), how much you spend on non-essentials, how much you spend on healthcare matters and medications, etc.;
• how much home help and other domestic assistance services you want or need: for example, whether you hire a housekeeper (and how often), a gardener, someone to maintain your swimming pool, if you have one, and other home services, e.g., nurses, or in-home care givers;
• how often you intend to travel within Mexico as well as how often you travel back-and-forth between Mexico and your home country.

Our guide to the cost of living in Mexico is a comprehensive resource that explores real living costs in Mexico and helps you to step back, make an assessment of your situation, and formulate a budget based on your individual circumstances.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

• Comprehensive guide to living and lifestyles in Mexico
• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Articles about living costs in Mexico
• Learn about obtaining residency in Mexico
• Latest articles about retirement in Mexico
• Is Mexico right for your retirement?
• Benefits Mexico offers to retirees
• Discovering potential places to live in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Our continually-updated guide to Living & Lifestyles in Mexico helps you to define your lifestyle intentions, determine whether Mexico is a good fit for you, consider key choices that will underpin your intentions, and organize your residency permit.  And then when you begin the process of physically moving to Mexico, you’ll need to begin managing the logistics of your move.

Once you have taken that decision to move to Mexico, this comprehensive guide gives you a practical and detailed checklist of actions and activities that need to be considered and taken care of over a three-month timescale leading up to your moving day—as well as local knowledge to help you plan for those first days and weeks after your initial arrival in Mexico.

Actions Checklist: 3 Months to Move Day

Here is a checklist of items to be organized three months before your planned moving date:

Travel documentation and residency permits

Ensure that you and all members of your family have valid passports and that you applied for your residency permit to live (and if relevant, to work) in Mexico. Some employers will take care of the work permit for you, but if you are moving independently, or to retire in Mexico, then you will need to take care of this yourself. Be sure that you can fulfill the requirements needed to qualify for a residency permit—our articles about obtaining legal residency in Mexico and applying for residency describe the routes and requirements.  If you need additional assistance, consider the Mexico immigration assistance service.

Passport validation

We recommend that your passport(s) be valid for at least six months from the date when your residency visa is issued; this is because the visa itself is valid for six months and the consulate may refuse your application if your passport expires in the interim period.  Check the expiration date on all relevant passports and if they are due to expire soon, you may need to renew them before you apply for residency / travel to Mexico.

Driving license

You can take your home country’s driving license with you, although if it’s not issued in English, you might consider taking an International Driver’s Permit (Wiki) as well. Once you are settled in Mexico, you may apply for a Mexican driving license if you want to. The procedures to apply for a Mexican driver’s license vary from state to state. Check with the state where you plan to live for local procedures and fees.

Check electrical appliances

Make a list of the electrical appliances you plan to take with you to Mexico. Items working on low voltage, for example: laptops, iPads, and smart phones, etc. will usually adapt automatically when used in Mexico. If you live in the Americas, then your voltage will be identical to Mexico’s (120v), and big-ticket items (e.g., TVs and refrigerators) may be moved with you. If you live in Europe or somewhere else where the voltage is 240v, you will need to leave most electrical items behind. A European TV will not work in Mexico either, as Europe uses the PAL (Wiki) system and the Americas use NTSC (Wiki).

Consider your pets

Cats and dogs can be easily imported into Mexico, provided the veterinary paperwork is in order. Importing pets other than cats and dogs might be more complex; some (not all) species require an import license and some specifies are banned from import. Read the guide about bringing your pets to Mexico for full details and links to relevant authorities. The Mexperience section about pets in Mexico contains articles and guides for further insight about keeping your pets in Mexico.

Consider items to take and items to leave behind

Make a checklist of the items you would like to take with you and those you are definitely going to leave behind. Consider selling your items online or via garage sale. Go around your home and physically look at all the items you need to consider; you probably have a lot of things you don’t realize you have, and it won’t be until you begin putting things to one side that you’ll get a grasp on the extent of things which have built-up over the years. Don’t forget to check the nooks & crannies including the garage, sheds, attics, and cellars if you have them. If you won’t be taking your pets, now is also the time to start arranging an alternative loving home for them.

Consider your real estate

If you own (or are buying) your home you will probably have decided by now whether to rent it out, sell it, or leave it empty. If you plan to sell it, then it ought to be on the market by now, unless you plan to delay the sale for some special reason. If you plan to rent it, then you need to decide whether it will be rented with furniture or unfurnished, and have arranged a local realtor to manage the rental while you are in Mexico. If your home is mortgaged, check with the lender about terms to rent it out.  If you are living in rented accommodation, check your lease to see when it expires and how much notice you must give before you leave. We recommend that you don’t give notice on your rented home, or agree to rent your home out, or close the sale of your house before your residency permits are confirmed.

Consider your vehicles

If you have cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, etc., then you need to consider what you will do with these. If you live in the USA or Canada, then it’s feasible to move some or all of these to Mexico if you feel it’s worthwhile; however: if you apply for and are granted permanent residency, you will not be able to import your foreign plated vehicles to Mexico using a temporary import permit (TIP); only residents on temporary resident permits may do this. Learn more about importing foreign-plated vehicles to Mexico and applying for a TIP. If you plan to sell your vehicle(s), then prepare to get them advertised after your residency permits are confirmed.

Temporary accommodation in Mexico

If you will be staying in a hotel when you first arrive in Mexico, and you are moving during the high seasons (Christmas/New Year, Easter, and high summer months of July and August) we recommend you book your temporary accommodations well in advance as demand rises substantially during these periods.

• Find information about temporary accommodations in Mexico using AirBnB etc.
• Find practical advice about finding a home for rent in Mexico.
• If you are planning to move straight in to a rented house or apartment in Mexico, you should be making arrangements for that to happen as soon as your residency permit is confirmed.
• If you are buying a house in Mexico and you expect the sale to close in the next weeks or months, you should be in continual touch with your vendor and/or agent in Mexico.

Actions Checklist: 2 Months to Move Day

Here is a checklist of actions and activities to be organized two months before your planned departure date.

Get quotes from moving companies

Once you have decided what personal goods you will be taking and leaving behind and have created a list of the things to move, you’ll be able to assess whether you need a removals company to help you.  If you plan only to take things in a few suitcases/small boxes then you might be able to move those personal items yourself.

If you plan to move with a significant number of household goods to Mexico, we recommend you hire the services of a removals company, as they’ll take the weight off your shoulders and they’ll also deal with the paperwork for the import of your personal goods. We’ve heard of cases of people hiring vans to do it themselves only to be stopped at the border by customs and turned back because they don’t have the import paperwork for their personal goods. Contact at least two, and ideally three, moving companies and ask for a quote to have your personal items moved to Mexico. Choose well-established companies with a strong presence in the market and check reviews online.

If you live in Canada or the USA, the goods will be shipped by road, or by road and then by sea to a port in Mexico where they will be subject to customs inspection and clearance and afterward loaded onto a truck and delivered to your home. If you live in Europe, then you will need to choose whether your goods will travel by sea freight or air freight: the latter is considerably more expensive. Our guide to moving your goods to, within, and from Mexico shares detailed insights.

Traveling heavy or traveling light?

Depending on your circumstances, you may want to leave all your “big ticket” items behind (either by selling them or by placing them in storage) and travel light. You can rent furnished accommodation in Mexico or buy things you need when you arrive: see the Mexperience Mexico cost of living guide for details living costs, including the purchase of homewares. An alternative is to store the things you want to keep, travel to Mexico light, arrange your accommodation and get settled-in, and then have your personal items moved to Mexico later.

Accommodation and storage in Mexico

You should have worked out your accommodation strategy for arrival in Mexico by now. If you are shipping your personal goods to Mexico when you move, they will probably arrive after you. You’ll need to have a plan for the arrival of your items, otherwise you’ll pay storage fees in Mexico—and note that customs’ storage fees are expensive.  If you use a removals company, they ought to coordinate your arrival and delivery dates to avoid excess storage charges.

Preparing to take your vehicles to Mexico

If after considering what to do with your vehicles you have decided to take your car or other vehicles with you, learn more about importing foreign-plated vehicles and applying for Temporary Import Permits for vehicles (TIP).  You don’t need a TIP if your vehicle(s) remain exclusively in the one of Free Zones near the northern and southern borders—read the guides in the links above for details.

Getting ready for your road trip to Mexico

Our comprehensive guide to driving and taking road trips in Mexico is packed with practical advice for driving on Mexico’s roads; and our latest articles about driving in Mexico share helpful insights and advice.  Be sure that your foreign-plated vehicles are property insured for driving in Mexico. See our road trip checklist for more details.

Schooling for your children

If you have school-age children, you should be researching potential schools in Mexico for their schooling needs and making a short-list of potential schools to visit when you arrive in Mexico. If you are employed by a company, your relocation package may include this; if you are moving independently, you will need to research potential schools in Mexico yourself. You might draw up a shortlist and visit two or three upon your arrival in Mexico. Your country’s foreign consulate in Mexico might be able to provide you with a list of private schools you may contact.

Make airline reservations

If you are flying to Mexico, now is the time to start looking at your flight options and making reservations. If you are taking pets with you, the airlines will have certain rules and regulations you need to follow as well.

Change of address

Make a list of all the organizations you need to contact to tell them about your change of address. Arrange a holding and/or forwarding address in your home country if you still don’t yet have a permanent address in Mexico.

Start to organize your personal belongings

Begin to segregate the things you will be keeping (for storage or transportation) from the things you will be disposing of. Begin to advertise items that you no longer use, and which may take longer to sell.

Gather together important documents

Gather all the important documents that you will need to take with you such as birth certificates, passports, marriage certificates, professional qualification certificates, etc.  Note that your foreign-issued official documents such as birth certificates and marriage certificates will need to be Apostilled and Translated into Spanish if you present them for an official procedure in Mexico.

Consolidate your financial arrangements

You may want to consolidate any financial arrangements you have in place; for example, you may want to pay-off or cancel certain credit cards, close bank accounts—although most people tend to keep at least one bank account open in their home country. Any paperwork you dispose of containing personal or financial details should be shredded to avoid someone potentially stealing your identity. Bank cards and check books you no longer need should be securely disposed of, too.  Read our comprehensive free guide to Money, Finances and Banking Services in Mexico and for the latest insights, read our articles about money and finances in Mexico.

Financial documents and tax affairs

Be sure to have all your financial, banking, pension and investment papers organized and safely filed. Share certificates, bonds, and other financial instruments should be carefully stored or carried with you in your hand luggage if you’re flying to Mexico.

Note that you must declare the import/export of cash and other negotiable monetary instruments if the sum exceeds US$10,000; there is no limit on the amount of money that may be brought in or taken out from Mexico but if the amount is over US$10,000 you must declare it. If you are traveling via the USA into Mexico, you will also need to make a separate declaration of amounts over US$10,000 to US Customs. Your home country, if not the US, might have a similar requirement when you leave.

You will need to consider your tax situation, as well. A qualified accountant will be able to advise you in detail about the best framework for your personal circumstances. You (or your accountant on your behalf) will need to contact your country’s tax authorities to advise them of your intentions as part of your personal tax-planning program.  For matters related to tax in Mexico, we recommend you contact and hire a local accountant near when you intend to live in Mexico.

Arrange overseas voting rights

Many countries allow their citizens to vote in elections, even when they are living abroad. If you wish to continue voting for your home-country’s elected officials while you are living in Mexico, check with your local authorities or your country’s consulate in Mexico about how to register to do this.

Actions Checklist: 1 Month to Move Day

This is going to be a busy month. All the preparation work you have been doing over the last sixty days will begin to come together very quickly over the next few weeks. Your last week (see next section) might be one of the busiest in your life.

Your passports and visas

All your travel and visa documentation should be in order by now.  Your residency permit for Mexico should be confirmed, with visa stickers in your passport(s) ready to make the exchange from the visa to a residency card when you arrive in Mexico.

Your home residence

If you are renting a house in your home country, you should have given notice to the landlord or renting agent by now. If you are selling, then you are about to close or will leave the selling/closing to the realtor or other person to do on your behalf. If you are leaving your home vacant, you ought to have planned for house-sitting or someone to check-in regularly.  If you are renting your home out, then you will need to make final preparations for your tenants to move-in after you leave. If you do not have the time to clean the house, hire the services of a professional cleaner and arrange for them to come in a day or two before you plan to vacate the property.

Your personal goods and belongings

You should be selling or donating all your unwanted goods by now. The items that you are keeping should be kept separate (perhaps in a spare room, garage, or rented storage unit) and you should have the removal and, if appropriate, storage of the items arranged and booked with the removals company.

If you are moving yourself and driving to Mexico, you should ensure that your vehicle will safely transport all the items you are planning to take with you. Return any borrowed goods to friends, neighbors, and other family members.  If you are moving a lot of things, you should have made preparations for your personal goods to be moved and imported to Mexico.

Inform key people and organizations of your move

Now is the time to contact all the people and organizations on the list you’ve made to let them know you are moving. The list should include:

• Local authorities (e.g. municipality or council)
• Property management association (where relevant)
• All utilities; telephone, cell phone and TV companies
• Banks and financial institutions (including insurance and investment companies)
• Cancelation or redirection of any physical delivery of newspapers, magazines you may have active
• Cancel regular food deliveries, the local library (and return any books), local clubs, gym membership, and other associations
• Contact your children’s school (arrange for their last day at school, pick up any work and school certificates, report cards, etc.) and any clubs they attend
• Inform the car registration agency, the tax office, your vehicle breakdown service company, the family attorney and accountant and doctors (see medical below) about your move.

Medical records, prescriptions, and health coverages

Get copies of yours and your family’s medical records from your doctor/health center; also get copies of any prescription medicine you are taking if you will need to buy more in Mexico. You may want to have a last eye-test and dental check-up before your departure to Mexico, and thus not have to concern with those for a while. (Note that dental work is considerably less expensive in Mexico than in the US.) You can learn about options for health insurance in Mexico and get detailed information about health and well-being on the latest articles here at Mexperience.

Run-down your food supplies

Begin to run-down your fridge and freezer in readiness for defrost; empty kitchen cupboards of dry goods; use up food and/or donate it to friends, neighbors, or shelters.

Get your personal goods ready to move or dispose of

Prepare furniture and appliances being sold or donated for removal from the house or apartment; encourage people to take delivery of items you no longer use now and try to negotiate late-pick up of items you need until your last day in the house, e.g., beds.

Begin to clear and empty out all cupboards and storerooms including the attic, basement, or cellar if your home has these. Your items checklist should make this process straightforward as you will know what you are keeping and disposing of.

Dismantle any furniture that will not easily transport when built. This is your final chance to sell goods and personal items you don’t need—do some more advertising if you need to and reduce prices of things that have not sold to date; you might host a final garage sale. You cannot take house plants with you to Mexico, so find new homes for them.

Confirm final-week arrangements

Confirm your moving date with your removals company, cleaner, and any other essential service providers (e.g., your rental agency). If you are not taking your pets, begin preparations for their move to their new loving home; if you are taking your pets to Mexico, be sure you have all of the paperwork in place and that you have the correct type of carry box or kennel to transport the pet(s) if you’re flying.

Actions Checklist: One Week to Move Day

Everything must come together this week; and you need to organize matters so that your move out of your property goes smoothly.

Prepare to vacate your current residence

Anything you have not been able to sell needs to be donated or recycled. Your freezer should be emptied, defrosted, and dried out if it has not been done already. All items you are not putting into storage or taking with you need to be removed; those items you are storing or taking will need to be segregated (where possible) or labeled for removal and ready for the removals people to collect.

Find new owners to adopt your house plants: you cannot take them to Mexico with you. Do last minute laundry and dry-cleaning; don’t forget to collect any items you may have pending at the dry cleaners. If you no longer have a bed to sleep on, you may arrange to stay the last few nights with family members, close friends, or a local hotel or Airbnb. Arrange letter-post forwarding if this service is available in your country.

Gather your personal belongings together

Separate all of the personal items that you will be taking with you in your baggage (i.e. not being removed by the removals company if you’re using one); ensure that you have sufficient clothes to get by while you wait for your shipment if you are transporting any clothes via the shipping company; also check that what you want to take fits into the bags you have available and that you are within the airline’s weight limits if you are flying. All high value items such as jewelry and items of high sentimental value should be taken with you as carry-on if you’re flying to Mexico.

Get ready for the moving day(s)

If you have very young children, arrange for someone to look after them on moving day. Older children can help with the move. Your removals company should arrive early and empty out the house of all items you are not carrying with you to Mexico. If you have hired a professional cleaning firm, they should be scheduled to arrive after your movers have taken everything out of the house and begin a thorough clean of the property. You should give yourself plenty of time to vacate the property if you have sold it or if you’re renting it out to someone. Try to build in some time in the late afternoon or evening, the day you move out, to simply relax; you may want to go to a comfortable hotel/spa.

Actions Checklist: Moving Day(s)

It might take more than one day to move out, depending on your circumstances; however, if you can, try to move out in one day, and arrange for any hand-over of the property (rental or sale) to happen no earlier than the day after you expect to have vacated the property.

Home removals company

If you have hired a removals company to move your personal goods to Mexico, they should arrive early and leave you with an empty property to clean. If you are moving yourself, then this is your final day to empty the property of all your personal goods and items.

Thorough clean

If you are vacating the property, it ought to be left thoroughly clean, whether you are selling, renting to someone, or handing back possession of a rental property. Hire professional cleaners if you don’t have the time or inclination to do this yourself.

Final utility meter readings

Take final meter readings from the gas, water, and electricity meters and telephone the suppliers to let them know the details and a forwarding address for your final bills. Cancel your land-line phone service and cable TV if you have not organized this already.

Final check of your property

Once the property is cleared, and the cleaning is done, make a thorough check of the property one last time to ensure everything is in order.

Important paperwork and documentation

Ensure that all your important paperwork and travel documents are together and readily accessible. Don’t leave them where they may be lost, accidentally disposed of, or packed away with the items in the shipment (this happens!).  Make sure you have auto insurance if you’re driving to Mexico and read our Mexico road-trip checklist.

Property handover or care

If you are handing the property over to someone else, arrange for this to happen the day after you move or later. There is nothing worse than having people waiting outside to move in while you are busy moving out. If your property will remain vacant for a long period, have someone —a friend or a professional property management company— visit the property regularly to check on any issues that may arise (e.g., leaks, breakages etc.) and to deal with post and other matters related to owning a property.

Actions Checklist: On Arrival in Mexico

Arriving in Mexico is the start of your new lifestyle situation! There are some formalities to follow when you arrive, but they are straightforward, and you can quickly begin the process of settling-in. Here is a run-down of the main things to do upon arrival:

Arrival at the port of entry in Mexico

Depending on whether you arrive by road or air, there is a straightforward arrival process at your port of entry.

• If you arrive at an airport, ensure you show your residency visa(s) to the immigration official, and do not enter Mexico as a visitor or tourist.
• If you arrive by road or at a seaport, ensure you stop to visit the immigration kiosk to have your residency visa(s) stamped on entry.
• You will need to have the visa stamped to successfully complete your visa exchange process. If it’s not stamped, this will cause problems and delays when you go to get your residency card(s).

Exchanging your residency visa in time

Arriving to live and settle-in to Mexico will be a busy period, but you must make time to get your residency visa(s) exchanged for residency card(s) before the visa expires.

• Upon your first entry to Mexico using your Mexican resident visa(s), the officer at the port of entry will stamp a page marking your entry date to the country. You now have 30 days from this date to exchange your visa(s) for a residency card(s).
• If you fail to commence this exchange process within 30 calendar days of your arrival date, your visa(s) will become void, and you will need to restart the residency application process from a Mexican consulate abroad.  There are no exceptions to this rule.
• See our guide to exchanging your residency visa sticker for a residency card for more details.

Transport to your hotel or local accommodation

If you need ground transportation from the airport are official taxis operating from all airports that will take you to your hotel or other accommodation that you have arranged.  Other ground transportation options include:

• Using an App Cab service like Uber or Didi.
• Having friends or family pick you up at the airport.
• Renting a car from the airport.
• Taking a bus from the airport to your destination.

Obtain some local currency

Now is a good time to buy some local currency. You can buy Mexican pesos at currency exchange kiosks at the airport and near border crossings; you can also withdraw Mexican pesos from local ATMs with the sums debited to your bank account abroad.

Helpful resources and contacts

Here is a list of helpful contacts and resources related to importing your personal goods to Mexico.

Mexican consulates: Applications for a Menaje de Casa, if you need one, must be made through any Mexican Consulate abroad.  Contact your nearest Mexican consulate to ask for details of their Menaje de Casa procedures.

Removal companies: We recommend you use a professional removals company to help you ship your personal goods to Mexico. Read our guide to finding and choosing a relocation company for your move to Mexico.

Bringing your pets: Read additional information about procedures and paperwork needed to bring your pets to Mexico

Temporary vehicle imports: Useful information if you plan to use your foreign-plated vehicle to move your things to Mexico.

Mexican Customs: If you want further advice, visit the Mexican Customs website

Customs brokers: If you decide to self-ship, you might consider contacting a Customs Broker for advice and help to get your consignment through Customs.  Removals companies work with Customs Brokers too, so if you hired a removals company, they usually liaise between you and the Customs officials. You can begin your search for Customs Brokers here (Google).

Settling-in after your arrival

Mexperience continues to support you after your move to Mexico with extensive and regularly updated guides and articles to help you experience more of Mexico.  Here are some of the resources you’ll find on Mexperience… and don’t forget to sign-up to our free monthly Mexico newsletter.

Settling-in to your new life and routines

Our guide to Living & Lifestyles includes chapters with helpful local knowledge about adapting & settling-in, finding purpose & balance, cultivating friendships and community networks, and developing key skills to help you adapt to your new environment.

Homestead care and management

Whether you’re renting a home or have purchased a property here, our regularly updated guides help you manage your home and dwelling spaces in Mexico, with tips and local knowledge to keep them well maintained and secure for you and your family.

Cultivate your home life

When you’ve made the move and you’re living here, our regularly updated articles about cultivating a fruitful home life in Mexico will give you insights, inspiration, and ideas to make the most of your everyday lifestyle.

Learning and improving your Spanish

We encourage you to learn Spanish to help you make the most of your experiences in Mexico.  We connect you to language courses, and our in-depth PinPoint Spanish series helps you to learn about the nuances of language usage in Mexico.

Manage your money & finances in Mexico

We publish detailed, updated, information about managing your finances in Mexico, including bank accounts, money exchange, and money transfers.

However, Mexico is especially attractive to retirees because some of these features and benefits can be especially helpful to people in retirement.

This article summarizes the key benefits Mexico offers to retirees and connects you to detailed information and local knowledge published here on Mexperience for further reading and research.

Agreeable climates

Climate affects us every day, and Mexico offers agreeable climates, often temperate or warm, and cold only at higher elevations in certain regions—and then only for limited times during the year.  Connect to a wide range of articles and guides on Mexperience for more details about climate, seasons and weather in Mexico.

Plenty of choices for location types

Mexico offers retirees choices in the types of places they can live in; from coastal locations that offer winter warmth, to mountain towns at elevation that offer year-round temperate climates.

Some places are more urbanized, others offer a countryside idyll surrounded by nature.  ‘Remote’ places popular with foreign residents tend to be within an hour’s drive of a large town or city that offer services and amenities retirees often seek, including healthcare services and major stores.

Our articles about discovering places to live in Mexico offer practical insights that can help you to consider the various locations on offer and discover potential places to live in Mexico so you can narrow your short-list according to your situation and considered lifestyle needs.

Fresh, locally produced food and drinks

Mexico’s shops and markets provide you with an abundant assortment of fresh food, especially visible at the vibrant, fragrant, local open-air markets here.

The year-round availability of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables, accompanied by a parade of colorful drinks and beverages made using them, makes Mexico one of the most attractive countries to be in if you enjoy good wholesome food that is also affordable.

Mexperience helps you to discover food and drink in Mexico as part of of your retirement research and planning.

Ample range of local products and amenities

Retirees coming to Mexico, especially those from the US and Canada, are likely to feel at home when it comes to obtaining many of the products, services, and amenities they have become accustomed to in their home country.

Mexico’s retail markets are extensive and well-developed; and there’s a large and growing selection of online shopping choices too.

Many products and brands foreign retirees are accustomed to seeing back home will be available in Mexico, either at one of the many supermarkets, through specialist retailers, or through online shopping options.

There are still some exceptions, for example, black tea, and alternatives for smokers are conspicuously absent; but Mexico today offers more choice and variety than it ever has before, and the range and selection of products and amenities continues to improve each year.

Local leisure amenities, including cafés, bistros, restaurants, gymnasiums, event centers, cinemas, theme parks, national parks and reserves, campsites, etc. are plentiful and readily accessible.

Affordable living costs

Retirees have different cost structures compared to people moving to Mexico who are of working age and perhaps with children to raise; for examples:

• they have no school fees to pay or children to ferry around and take on school trips;
• most have no mortgages and may also have no other substantial debts to service; and
• they might also be able to live in Mexico without a car, which can save costs.

However, retirees have costs to consider and budget for in other areas that younger people might not have, perhaps healthcare costs being the major expense, and other assistance services, including home help and specialist care services that might have to be considered and duly funded.

Accessible transportation and communications

Most retirees travel within in Mexico to explore the country, as well as take trips to travel back to their home country to see family and friends (or they might receive visits in Mexico).

Some people retiring to Mexico might do so part time, spending only part of the year in Mexico, perhaps to overwinter here.

It’s for these reasons that good transport links, including decent roads and access to international airports, becomes important.

Mexico offers a well-developed and reliable transportation infrastructure that enable you to travel and be near other people who are close in your life, as well as excellent communications networks that enable you to keep touch at a distance, affordably.

Ample choices in accommodations

Retirees coming to Mexico who want to rent will find an ample choice of property types to choose from; our article about the practicalities of renting a home is worth reading to get local insights about that. (See link below.)

A wider selection of property types is available to retirees seeking a home to buy; and engaging the services of local real estate agent is an effective way search and buy a home here.

The links to the articles below help you to consider your accommodation choices when you’re thinking about retirement in Mexico.

World-class health and wellbeing services

Healthcare services and the availability of medicines is often near the top of retirees’ needs and concerns when they plan a move to Mexico.

All of Mexico’s popular retirement destinations are well served by doctors, dentists, opticians as well as a range of clinical and hospital services, including emergency care and specialized medical professionals and services.

Thriving retirement communities

In addition to the ample variety of types of locations on offer, the more popular locations to live in Mexico offer thriving and well-established retirement communities that help newcomers and long-time residents to get involved in local groups, societies, and events.  This is especially helpful when you are endeavoring to settle properly into Mexico, long term.

Safety, and economic stability

Although media reports about security matters have put-off some people from visiting or retiring to Mexico, foreign residents of all life stages report that they feel safe in Mexico, and that the reality they live here every day is characterized by regular routines and being part of strong local communities where people look out for each other and work together to resolve issues if problems arise.

Retirees also enjoy stable lifestyles here, too—as the macroeconomics of the country are well-managed, markets work well, and there is a wide and regular availability of goods and services available, including increasing ranges of goods available through online companies that specialize in offering less common and imported products.

Warm, welcoming culture and language

Although English is widely spoken across Mexico, especially in the most popular retiree enclaves and tourist towns, learning or improving your Spanish language skills will help you enormously as you settle into your retirement in Mexico because it will give you deeper access to the local culture and enable you to integrate in ways that those who don’t speak Spanish cannot.

Mexico’s rich culture and its canny ability to assimilate foreign things without losing its own identity, offers retirees the opportunity of experiencing unusual celebrations and traditions which are nonetheless familiar.

Retirees get a front-row seat to all this culture and the events that surround it, and while others may dream of visiting Mexico in-season to experience these events, they are part of everyday life here for retirees in Mexico.  It’s an enormous, and often overlooked, benefit of living here.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Latest articles about retirement in Mexico
• Discovering potential places to live in Mexico
• Cultivating your home life in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Whether you’re moving your personal goods to Mexico or moving your goods out of Mexico, a company that specializes in moving household goods can alleviate many of the most significant burdens of your move.

The moving company also facilitates the Customs paperwork and procedures, leaving you to focus on moving your life situation without having to worry about the logistics of moving your household goods.

Connect with an experienced home moving company

Browse online for removal companies that can assist you:

• Moving home to/from Mexico internationally (Google)
• Moving home within Mexico domestically (Google)

You can also find tips and advice about moving to Mexico on these Mexperience guides and articles:

• Importing your personal goods to Mexico
• Moving your personal goods to, from, or within Mexico
• Importing pets to Mexico
• Moving: Actions Checklist and Timeline
• Importing your foreign-plated car to Mexico

Under international trade agreements, there are strict limits on goods that individuals can move across international borders (usually restricted to a few hundred dollars’ worth of items per crossing) and anything over this limit requires import duty to be paid on the value of the goods.

One-time duty-free import of personal goods

To help individuals, couples, or families who have legal residency in Mexico, a special process exists to move their personal things here without paying taxes on the value of the personal goods being moved.

This article describes the rules and procedures, what’s allowed and disallowed in your shipment, how to begin the process, and what you’ll need for Mexican Customs to release your shipment once it arrives in Mexico.

The Menaje de Casa

You must have legal residency in Mexico (Temporary or Permanent) or hold a Mexican passport to bring your personal goods to Mexico under this duty-free arrangement.

Menaje de Casa is a term used for the process whereby the Mexican government allows qualifying household goods to be imported into Mexico one time, duty-free. Included within this process is the requirement to prepare and present to Mexican Customs a formal inventory with a specified format and its own requirements.

Paperwork and procedures

There are different requirements to qualify for the Menaje de Casa, depending on the type of legal residency you have in Mexico, or if you hold a Mexican passport.

The paperwork you will need, and the precise procedures you need to follow will be determined by a combination of:

• Whether you are a temporary or permanent resident, or hold a Mexican passport.
• Which border crossing your household goods will be imported through.
• The policies of the customs broker who will be in charge of importing your household goods.
• Paperwork and procedures may vary depending on the policies of the Mexican consulate you work with outside of Mexico.

In most circumstances (but not all) it might be necessary to have the Mexican consulate closest to where you begin your move certify your Menaje de Casa inventory, and some consulates will not do this if your residency permit is more than six months old.

If you need to get your Menaje de Casa inventory certified by your local Mexican consulate you will need to present the consulate with a detailed inventory of all the goods you want to ship to Mexico.  The inventory must be presented in Spanish in a specific format. The consulate charges a fee of ~US$150 for the certification process. Contact your nearest Mexican Consulate or talk to a moving company about the format and procedures required for the inventory.

The consulate and/or the moving company may ask you for additional documentation to be completed to facilitate the shipment of your consignment of household goods to Mexico.

If you intend to self-move your household goods, contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for advice.

If you hire a moving company, they will consult with you about your moving plans and intended shipment, and facilitate the customs paperwork and procedures.

Items that are allowed and disallowed

There are rules about what constitutes ‘personal household goods’ and you will not be allowed to import any goods which are new, or restricted.

Shipping your personal goods to Mexico

Some people choose to self-move their household goods and if you intend to do this, we recommend you contact your nearest Mexican Consulate for advice, and you might also need the assistance of a customs broker.

We recommend that you use the services of a moving company to ship your goods to Mexico. There are specific reasons why using a removals company makes sense:

• They know the best and most cost-efficient routes to ship based on your point of origin and final destination in Mexico.
• They know the detailed import rules and procedures for importing goods to Mexico.
• They’ll ensure that the required paperwork is present and properly completed. and that your consignment of personal goods will clear Mexican Customs as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Leaving Mexico with your personal goods

If you’re living in Mexico and decide to leave and take your personal goods with you, you’ll need to check with the relevant authorities in the country you are moving to about the requirements for import of your personal household goods. A moving company can assist when you are moving your household goods from Mexico to another country.

Useful resources and contacts

Here is a list of useful contacts and resources related to importing your personal goods to Mexico.

Moving companies: We recommend you use a moving company to ship your household goods across borders.

Mexican consulates: Applications for a certified Menaje de Casa must be made through a Mexican Consulate abroad, in the country where the goods are being shipped from.  Contact your nearest Mexican consulate to ask for details of their Menaje de Casa procedures.

Bringing your pets: Read additional information about procedures and paperwork needed to bring your pets to Mexico

Temporary vehicle imports: Useful information if you plan to use your foreign-plated vehicle to move your things to Mexico.

Mexican Customs: If you want further advice, visit the Mexican Customs website.

You’ll need to exercise patience during this period, and if you have a partner or family arriving with you, it’s important to be mindful of their needs and any emotional and practical support they may require as you work together to cultivate the beginning of your new lifestyle.

Mexico has a distinct feel and ambiance, and you will each need to give yourself time to adapt to the physical environment as well to the cultural changes and nuances you and your partner/family will find yourselves surrounded by.

This article offers some practical tips and resources that can help you prepare for the period of adapting and settlement in Mexico.

Exchange your residency visa for a residency card

To begin, a reminder: when you arrive in Mexico with a residency visa sticker(s) in your passport(s), you must begin the visa-to-residency-card exchange procedure within 30 calendar days of your arrival date and before the residency visa’s expiry date.

If you forget or omit to do this, or allow your visa to lapse, your visa will become void, and you’ll need to leave Mexico to restart the residency application from a Mexican consulate abroad.  If you need help with the visa exchange procedure, consider using our Mexico Immigration Assistance service.

Adapting to the local climate and elevation

If you have moved to one of the many towns or cities in Mexico situated at elevation —principally Mexico’s colonial cities and its three big cities— you may need to allow time for your body to become accustomed to the ‘thinner’ air prevalent in these places if you did not live at elevation before you came to Mexico.

You may also need to take time to adjust to the general climate where you chose to live, for example if you’re near the coast you may have to acclimatize to the heat and humidity, especially if you accustomed to the climate of a cooler or colder country.

Become acquainted with Mexican culture and local customs

If you have not yet read our guides and articles about Mexican culture and traditions, the settling-in period is good opportunity to do some research and get acquainted with Mexico’s culture.  Mexperience offers a wide selection of articles and guides to help you—connect to the resources using the link below.

Begin to develop your social and community network

A vital component of becoming integrated into your new lifestyle in Mexico is to seek out and connect with local people, community groups, and others with similar interests to you.   Learn more about exploring common routes and approaches that foreign residents use to discover and cultivate new connections and friendships as part of their lifestyle in Mexico.

Find a school for your children

If your you have school-age children to raise, the settling-in period is also a time to visit the schools on your shortlist and choose one for your children to attend. Getting your children into a school routine will help them to find and make new friends, settle into their new surroundings, and begin to engage with the local language and customs.

Learning or improving your Spanish

Language gives you access to the culture and makes your lifestyle experiences richer and more meaningful. Learning or improving your Spanish is an essential part of settling-in and making Mexico your home.  Mexperience offers articles, resources, and connections to help you.

Managing your money and using bank services

If you’re not already familiar with Mexico’s currency, take time to get acquainted with the coins and banknotes you’ll need to deal with every day; and you can open a Mexican bank account when you have your residency card.  Mexperience offers local knowledge and insights about money and finances in Mexico.

If you’re retired, apply for your INAPAM card

If you’re 60 years of age or older and hold a Mexican residency card, you can opt to apply for the INAPAM card that offers discounts to seniors living in Mexico across an ample range of products and services.

Settling-in to your home in Mexico

Whether you are renting or buying a house in Mexico, there will be a period of moving-in and settlement to your new home—and all the things that entails, including dressing the home with furniture and adornments, and might also include things like finding a gardener, a housekeeper, and someone to maintain your swimming pool if you have a private pool in your garden.

You’ll also need to learn about how to get all your domestic services in place: electricity supply, gas and water, telephone, internet access, etc.

The Mexperience guides to House Maintenance and Home Security in Mexico includes lots of practical guidance and local insights about managing and maintaining your home in Mexico.

Get connected to stay in touch

Although you might keep your home country mobile phone (at least for a while) you’re likely to benefit by getting a Mexican mobile phone number so that you can communicate locally at low cost, and others in Mexico can contact you easily.

If you plan to open a Mexican bank account, you’ll need a Mexican mobile phone number to be able to download and access the banking apps they provide.  Mexican mobile phone plans offer affordable choices with unlimited calls across North America and generous mobile data allowances in exchange for a modest monthly fee.

You’ll also need to consider how to get your home connected with internet: there are various choices of providers and if your home is situated in a rural or semi rural area, there are options including mobile data and satellite services.

Create your ‘essential local services’ list

When you move into you home in Mexico, compose a list of “essential services” providers locally. This ought to include:

• medical services like a local doctor, emergency clinic, dentist, opticians;
• local emergency service numbers—you can dial 911 in Mexico, but look for local service numbers as well;
• contact numbers for your gas suppliers, the water company, the electricity company, your drinking water supplier;
• contact details of anyone who attends your property regularly, e.g. your housekeeper, gardener, pool maintenance, etc.
• helpful service providers including fumigators, dry cleaning, local taxi services, etc.

This list is likely to grow over time and may include the names and contact numbers for helpful plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and other local domestic service providers.

If you live in a gated community, that list might already exist as part of the Homeowner’s Association pack—check locally.  If your home is not part of a gated community, then asking friends, colleagues, and neighbors, or local community and association groups (including online groups related to specific locations) is a useful way to begin compiling your list of essential local contacts.

Tip: If you already know a plumber, that person might also be an electrician (the two trades often accompany each other) or one trades person might be able to refer you to another as they might work with others on larger building projects, etc.  So ask your plumber if you need a carpenter or ironmonger, for example.

Discovering food and drink in Mexico

One of the most attractive aspects of living in Mexico is the access to lots of fresh, colorful, and flavorful food and refreshing drinks.  As you settle-in, you’ll begin to explore and discover your local shops, markets, and food purveyors.  Here are some articles and guides for further discovery.

Taking time out for leisure and recreation

Amidst the demanding routines of physically moving to Mexico and taking time to settle into your new life situations, it’s worth remembering that Mexico’s enormous choice of leisure and recreation activities (supported by its agreeable year-round climates) is now on your doorstep—and as a resident, you can take full advantage of everything Mexico offers you for leisure.

Mexperience helps you to discover places, travel experiences, and opportunities for enjoying your leisure time here, and our travel associates can help you to create custom itineraries if you need assistance with your leisure trips.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Finding suitable accommodations
• Approaches to choosing or changing your Mexico lifestyle
• Discover places to live in Mexico
• Principal routes to legal residency in Mexico
• Latest articles about lifestyles in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

You’ll be able to find community and social groups to engage with in most Mexican towns and cities where foreigners live in any significant numbers in Mexico; and even in emerging towns and locations off the beaten path, foreign residents tend to find meeting points and gathering places that can include certain local cafés or bistros, or social gatherings organized homes of people already well-established locally.

This article explores common routes and approaches that foreign residents use to discover and cultivate new connections and friendships as part of their lifestyle in Mexico.

Ways to make friends and cultivate your social circles in Mexico

You’ll need to make a conscious effort to find and cultivate new social connections in Mexico. Creating a strong social network requires your investment of time and energy to find new acquaintances, some of whom might become friends, and then work regularly to cultivate those friendships.

There are lots of avenues you might explore do this—here are some examples:

Work placement

If you’ve come to Mexico as part of a work placement, the company you work for might provide a list of existing local social and community groups; larger companies tend to organize ‘away days’ or ‘team building events’ where the employees and their families can meet in a social setting and get to know each other—these connections can lead to other activities, new acquaintances, and potential new friends.

Sports and hobbies

If you play sports and/or have specific hobbies or interests that you pursue, you can search for and find sports teams that you can ask to play on, as well as clubs and societies you can apply to join. Joining a local golf club or the local gym also offers an opportunity to get involved locally and meet others; if you play an instrument, you may find a local band or orchestra to play in.

Walking your dog

If you have a dog, taking it on frequent walks in the local neighborhood or park is a good way of meeting your neighbors and meeting other dog owners.  Parks in large towns and cities have ‘dog play areas’ these days which also create a meeting point for humans watching over them.  As younger generations use these parks to walk their dogs, they provide an opportunity for older generations to invest in cultivating friendships with younger people.

Help and be kind with your neighbors

Get to know know your neighbors and be helpful.  If the people living in your vicinity are older, be mindful of any needs they might have, for example, you could offer to go shopping or take them shopping with you.  If they are younger and have a family, consider how you might help them.  Small acts of kindness and common courtesy can make a big impact.  For example, you might wheel trash cans back to the house after the garbage delivery has passed; you might gift them a plant for their garden. Even if neighbors don’t become close friends with you, it’s good practice to cultivate good relationships with the people you live among.

Hosting parties and events

Hosting a party at your home for your new friends and immediate neighbors helps you get to know them if you’ve recently moved in—as well as to develop friendship and sharing in the longer term.  These types of events also carry the potential to present serendipitous opportunities and make new connections locally, especially if your guests are encouraged to bring other people they know that you don’t yet know.

Churches and spiritual centers

If you attend a local church or spiritual center, you will be able to meet new people of faith and through those meetings have an opportunity to make and cultivate new friendships.

Join or create a common-interest group

Birds of a feather enjoy flocking together so a good way to find new people to connect with is to join interest groups doing  things you enjoy or have an interest in. Book clubs, writing groups, hobby groups (crafts, collecting, sewing, painting), walking and hiking, history and culture, etc.  If a group doesn’t exist locally, consider taking the initiative and starting one.  You can meet at local coffee houses, community centers, or yours or someone’s else’s home as may be appropriate.

Attend and support local events

Make an effort to find out about and attend local events. Art exhibitions, wine or food tasting days, music concerts, local theater groups, dance, and craft exhibitions and workshops are among the most common events that offer good opportunities to meet others and make new acquaintances.  To make this work, you often have to attend events regularly; every occasion might not offer-up an opportunity to meet other people you would ideally like to cultivate a friendship with, but some events will. Regular attendance and consistent effort is essential.

Become a regular patron at local establishments

Get out of the house and go for coffee or beverage, or a meal, at local establishments in your area—and make that habit a regular one.  Over time, you’ll get known and you’ll start to notice and meet other people who also regularly attend these places, and you might strike up conversation with them.  If you like watching major sporting events, don’t stay in to watch it—attend a local sports bar and join others with that common interest.

Reconnect with people you’ve lost touch with

Sometimes a fledgling friendship can get sidelined by the events and responsibilities of everyday life situations. Consider people you’ve met before who you subsequently lost contact with and make an effort to contact and reconnect with them.  You could offer to buy them a coffee or invite them out to a light meal as an opportunity to rekindle the acquaintance or friendship.

Meeting other parents

If you have school-age children, your local school is natural focal point for you to meet other parents, and through school meetings and other events (for example, school camping trips are popular here) there’s an opportunity to find and cultivate new acquaintances and friendships this way.

If you don’t have children, or are retired, there are other ways of finding and joining local groups, and a search online using social media channels, as well as notices on boards posted at popular local stores, cafés, and restaurants may connect you with new people and groups who, in turn, will connect you with others. In time, you’ll become part of the connections chain that introduces future new residents to your community.

Volunteering and community work

Volunteering is a way to give back to your local community and an ideal opportunity for making new friends. Search locally for existing initiatives that might be operating; or consider starting a new initiative of your own.

Entrepreneurship

Some people who are retired and who discover that they have spare time and patient capital in their lives decide to embark on a project to create a small enterprise.

Some might work for a local company to share their life’s knowledge and expertise, others might start a small business of their own—for example, they might open a local shop, or start a local business.  They might partner with a Mexican associate to achieve this.

Engaging with these types of self-employment can connect you to new people and opportunities you might not otherwise meet through social groups alone, and the investment you make can create new value for your local community.

Local anchors as connectors

Things come from things.  And new connections can emerge from existing connections.  An excellent way to begin to develop a circle of new friends is to encourage your existing contacts to introduce you to new people they know locally.

Another anchor you might consider is the realty agent (if you used one) to buy your home in Mexico. That person might be an excellent anchor for helping you to make your first connections when you first move to Mexico, including practical connections like local service suppliers you need as you settle-in.

The good agents will know about the local community groups, may introduce you to some local people they know, and could also help you find domestic helpers like housekeepers and gardeners. These personal introductions can serve as key anchors that enable you to develop your new social networks when you move to Mexico.

Some foreign residents go further and make and concerted effort to integrate with groups and communities beyond those organized by other foreign residents. Local churches, local community groups and associations, and local neighborhood associations are good places to do this.  Getting involved locally is also a positive way to develop your Spanish language skills.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Approaches to choosing or changing your Mexico lifestyle
• Adapting and settling-in to your lifestyle in Mexico
• Discover places to live in Mexico
• Principal routes to legal residency in Mexico
• Latest articles about lifestyles in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

After the eventful period during which you’ll deal with the immediate needs and logistics associated with your physical move and settling-in period, you’ll enter a more ordinary pace and rhythm of everyday life situations as your life in Mexico begins to unfold in earnest.

This ‘second-stage’ settlement period will present opportunities and challenges. Ensuring that your situations are underpinned by healthy routines, a sense of purpose, and connections to other people will speed your adaption period and help you to create a balanced and fruitful lifestyle in Mexico.

This article outlines the important need to find purpose and routines as part of everyday situations, and also highlights some common risks to help you spot any potential difficulties.

Forming regular routines

How your daily routines begin to unfold will depend upon your life stage, the intentions you set out, and your lifestyle priorities. Routines during the first few months of your settling-in period will likely revolve around practical logistics that support your move; however, when those matters are discharged, more ‘mundane’ matters will take precedence.

Your daily routines are likely to vary depending upon your life stage and circumstances, for example:

If you are retired

You might have a significant amount of spare time to fill; or you might have specific interests and activities you intend to engage with that fill that time. Some retirees arrive and explore for ways to get involved locally, and some might also start a business or begin working for local companies or non-profit organizations to share their expertise, life experiences, and knowledge.

If you’re arriving as a couple without children

You might engage with specific interests you each have separately, or together, or a mixture of both.

Although the issue of finding strong routines might seem inconsequential at first, one of the key dangers a couple faces is that if one or the other is unable to settle into a regular routine —and find activities of interest to them— the move to Mexico can quickly become barren.

This is especially true if the other partner in the relation does have a regular routine and interests and is enjoying Mexico and can happen, for example, if one partner has a job, work project, or finds integration natural, and the other doesn’t; the situation can be exacerbated by language barriers.  See the section below about spotting risks and pitfalls for additional insights about this.

If you’re arriving as a family or a parent with minor children

Your routines are likely to be primarily formed around the children’s daily needs: schooling, and other social and scholastic matters are likely to take up a great deal of time and energy.

If your children are growing older, it’s sensible to think about how your routines will evolve when they finish school/college, and how your priorities and routines will respond to those changes.

If you arrive in Mexico as a single person without children

Your routines will likely be based entirely on the lifestyle intentions you set out with as part of your move to Mexico, that may include a retirement lifestyle, a work/project lifestyle, or combination of both.

Finding purpose in everyday situations

Regardless of your situation and life stage, you’ll need to make a conscientious effort to build new routines —daily, weekly, and monthly— as an integral part of your settling-in period when you move to Mexico.

Routines help to provide focus and are also the anchors that help to give life situations a purpose, and thus motivate you to engage more meaningfully in your everyday activities and pursuits.

Having purpose also mitigates potential risks associated with an absence of routines and purpose; unchecked, these can spiral downward and become detrimental to yours, your partner’s, or family’s well-being.

Social connections are key anchors

Making new friends, forming new associations, and getting involved in local community groups and activities comes naturally to some people; and for those with jobs, children, or work projects to do here, those activities can provide solid daily routine structures and contacts —professional and social— which in turn support their everyday life situations here in Mexico.

However, not everyone is naturally adept in the art of forming new social connections or may not have the formal structures that workplaces, schools, and other working groups provide as a primer and platform for making new friends.  The task becomes even more difficult if your Spanish language skills are not well-developed.

When you move to Mexico, it’s worthwhile taking some time to consider how you will respond to the matter of developing your human connections here, and consider what efforts you personally need to make to discover new social circles and cultivate acquaintances and friends within those—perhaps from ‘square one.’

Human connections, that include acquaintances, family, friends, colleagues, and associates, are a key support mechanism because they help to provide practical, social, and emotional support to us every day; and while these are important wherever you live, they take on additional importance when you have recently moved to a foreign country and you may find yourself needing to recreate networks of connections, people, and groups—possibly from square one.

As you plan your move and set-out your intentions, consider how you will cultivate the new connections that will play an important role in your everyday situations in Mexico—and might well become a determining factor of how well you settle into and enjoy Mexico as a place to live.

Pitfalls in the absence of purpose and routines

It’s worth touching on the matter of common pitfalls that can appear when you don’t have regular routines to engage in, you or someone close to you lacks purpose, and/or develops too few human connections when you or they come to Mexico to live.

Being mindful of these pitfalls may help you to spot warning signs that can point to the emergence of situations which can undermine your original plans and intentions.

Here are some key situations to be mindful of, based on experiences of some people who moved to Mexico.

Lack of social connections

Neglecting to cultivate social and community connections can quickly lead to isolation, and depression.  Depression can lead to abuse of addictive substances including alcohol and drugs—and this, in turn, limits your ability to socialize properly and develop wholesome routines and new human connections, creating a downward spiral that can be hard to break out of if goes unnoticed.

Vices and addictions

Limited social circles and/or closed-group communities can sometimes be a good breeding ground for a gradual but certain progression to alcoholism, and other substance abuse.

This seems especially prevalent among people with lots of spare —often barren— time on their hands.  Regular rounds of social events and dinner parties that are heavily drenched with alcohol can unwittingly facilitate alcoholism by stealth.

Alcoholism is perhaps one of the biggest hidden threats to foreign residents in Mexico who lack strong daily routines and/or clear purpose as they cultivate their life situations here.

Partners adapting to Mexico

When couples move to Mexico together, the move might be advocated, and thus propelled, more strongly by one of the two partners in the relationship—and when this happens the dominant influencer will often make a greater effort to integrate, establish routines, and find purpose than the other.

If this disequilibrium continues, living in Mexico can quickly evolve into an inhospitable experience for the partner who is not integrating well, and that can put tremendous strains on the relationship. One partner may summarily decide that they want to return to their home country, leaving the other to contend with the substantial issues that that type of unilateral decision would entail.

It’s especially problematic if one of the partners is in Mexico on a defined work contract; but can be equally devastating to a retired couple, one of whom adores Mexico and doesn’t want to leave, and another who believes that they are unable to adapt and integrate.

It’s worth reading our article about considering your motivations and intentions for moving to Mexico in the first place, and talking candidly with your partner about your shared desires, interests, and aspirations vis-à-vis moving to Mexico.

Being open and receptive to the other’s concerns or incertitude can minimize the possibility of critical situations —of type that can break plans and relationships— from developing in the first place.

If issues emerge after you arrive in Mexico, being cognizant of the potential difficulties can help a couple to respond constructively, and exercise flexibility and understanding of each other’s needs.

Children adapting to Mexico

Being mindful of family members who might move to Mexico with you, particularly children, and especially in the early months after your move to Mexico, is important.

Individuals respond to material changes in their lives in distinctive ways, and a move to a foreign country is perhaps one of the most materially significant changes that we can experience.

Children, especially younger children, tend to be the most adaptable, but some children might find the change hard to contend with, and adolescents and young adults may find it hard to grapple with the social, cultural, and language changes that a move to Mexico will bring to their lives.

The better private schools in Mexico will be mindful of families’ needs when they have moved here from abroad and will have support mechanisms in place to help parents and children cope, as well as to help and encourage them to adapt and integrate.

Mitigating the risks as you settle-in to Mexico

The situations described above are the most typical encountered by foreign residents in Mexico; there are others, and while you can never eliminate all risks, they can be mitigated through some forethought, planning, and self-awareness.

Here are some guiding tips:

Clarity of purpose

Be clear about your intentions for moving to Mexico. Define those intentions, know your priorities, and compose a plan—if you have a partner or family, be sure they are involved and engaged in every aspect of that plan.

Make an effort to integrate

After dealing with the logistics of moving and settling-in, make a determined effort to build and develop strong daily routines and find purpose in your Mexico lifestyles, regardless of your life stage.

Make friends

Invest earnestly in the effort it requires to develop local connections and associations with others when you arrive in Mexico; avoid becoming isolated or only having limited circles of friends.

Speak Spanish

Learn or improve your Spanish language skills; the importance of being able to converse in Spanish everyday cannot be underemphasized and ought not to be underestimated.

Be mindful of yourself and others

Spot the signs —in yourself, and your loved ones if they move with you— of isolation and depression and the vices that often accompany people if one or both those afflictions takes hold; provide support to those near you and seek professional support if you need it.

Bring people along

As you move to Mexico and begin to settle-in, be mindful of your partner’s and family’s needs and any troubles or doubts they might be experiencing as they learn to adapt to a new country and an unfamiliar environment; be prepared to flex and respond constructively to support them.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Approaches to choosing or changing your Mexico lifestyle
• Making friends and cultivating social networks
• Adapting and settling-in to your lifestyle in Mexico
• Latest articles about lifestyles in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Factors that may influence accommodation choices

Everyone’s situation has unique attributes when they’re moving, although there are several common factors that tend to influence the choices regarding accommodations, including:

• how long you intend to stay in Mexico—shorter stays will usually preclude a home purchase, but not all people who intend to stay long term will buy a house;
• your familiarity of Mexico—if you know Mexico and have friends or family here, this will likely influence your approach to finding accommodations; and
• any existing arrangements—some people already have property in Mexico they can move into, although sometimes the property is in a different location to where they want to live now; also
• specific circumstances and financial means—you might have specific reasons for wanting to rent or buy, and your decisions might be facilitated or restricted based on your financial means.

Renting before buying

If you do decide to buy property in Mexico, you might consider renting first to get a feel for the area(s) you’re thinking about moving into, before committing to a place or neighborhood—even if your preference is to buy and you have the financial means to do so.

If you already know the area you want to live in from previous experiences, you might only rent for a brief time in temporary accommodations while you scout for and buy a property in Mexico.  Some people buy soon after they arrive, perhaps on impulse, although most people rent (or stay with friends or family) at least for a short while beforehand.

Mexico’s house rental market

Most people who come to Mexico to live for the first time start out by renting a house here, and we recommend that people unfamiliar with the country begins by renting in the first instance—if only on a temporary basis.

Renting property gives you flexibility that can be helpful, although you’ll have to purchase a house in Mexico to benefit from the widest choice of property types available and obtain a dwelling space that suits your needs in detailed ways which rented properties are unlikely to be able to.  Renting property might also place other restrictions upon you; for example, many rentals don’t allow pets.

Rental properties are plentiful in Mexico, but the practicalities of finding a decent rental that is adequate for your needs takes time and effort, patience, and a degree of luck in respect of the listed properties during the timeframe that you are scouting the market.

Some real estate agents will help you scout for properties, although many agents prefer to only deal with property purchases and sales because the income available to them from rentals is materially lower than income generated from property sales.  If you intend to rent before you buy, let the agent know this, because some agents who don’t normally deal with rentals are sometimes prepared help potential future buyers to rent something locally in the near-term.

Buying a house in Mexico

People with intentions to stay longer in Mexico trend toward buying a property as soon as practical, as it can represent a better investment over the long term—provided that you choose wisely, that includes settling in a location that properly suits your lifestyle intentions, and that you don’t overpay for the property.  It’s better to buy less house in an optimum location than more house in a sub-optimal location.

Buying also gives you a much wider range of options than renting and enables you to shape the living spaces as you’d like them. It might also be sensible to buy sooner in a place where the market is buoyant, and prices are rising.

Choosing to buy a property in Mexico enables you to find a place that is more precisely suited to your lifestyle needs and can also encourage you to ‘put down roots’ in the location you have chosen—this is related to the level of commitment you have in relation to your move to Mexico.

Mexperience offers extensive articles and guides about real estate in Mexico that help you to discover the property market here, whether you are a buyer, an owner, or a seller.

Financing a property purchase

Many people moving to Mexico have capital available to them to purchase a home here —especially retirees— through investments and savings, or with equity that has accumulated in their existing home.

However, some people moving here might need or want to finance a home in Mexico.  Most foreign residents who buy property in Mexico do not need or seek credit, although real estate financing in Mexico is available through various specialized finance houses.  Our guide to real estate in Mexico includes a complete chapter about real estate finance.

Owning a house in Mexico

Home ownership is a responsibility whichever country your property is located in. Once you have moved to Mexico and taken possession of your home, whether you own your property in Mexico or are just renting it, there will be certain matters to organize and deal with on a regular basis to keep your house properly maintained and secured when you are home and away. With some local insights and forward planning, the maintenance and security of your home in Mexico should pose no major headaches or inconveniences.

Mexperience publishes a comprehensive guide to home maintenance and security in Mexico with tips and practical knowledge to help you manage your home in Mexico, keep it secure and prevent your Mexican home from falling into disrepair.

Insurance for your home in Mexico

Whether you’re buying or renting a home, it’s prudent to consider insurance for your home and personal possessions.

Mexico is subject to hurricanes (if your property is near the ocean) and earthquakes (whether you’re by the sea or inland) and it makes sense to protect your investment with an adequate home insurance coverage plan to protect your asset as well to cover you against third party liabilities, e.g., a tree falling onto your neighbor’s property and causing damage or injury.

If you’re only renting, you can buy an insurance plan to protect your personal items from loss due to flooding, burglary, etc.

Selling a house in Mexico

When you purchase property and eventually come to sell your home, there are different routes to market, agents to consider, processes to follow, and paperwork to organize.  Our guide to real estate in Mexico includes a full chapter dedicated to helping home sellers.

Working with a local realty agent

Finding and working with a local realty professional can be a worthwhile investment.

A well-established agent will be able to provide you with insights into the local area and community, brief you about locales and neighborhoods that could be appropriate (or otherwise) for your needs; and when you buy a house with the help of an agent, they might also assist you by connecting you to local groups, associations and perhaps even new acquittances that could become friends.

Renting out your Mexican home

If you purchase a home in Mexico, you might plan to rent out your Mexican home, in part or in its entirety.  Mexperience offers helpful articles that share insights about this, and our guide to real estate includes a chapter about renting.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Resources include:

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Discover places to live in Mexico
• Principal routes to legal residency in Mexico
• Latest articles about lifestyles in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free

Some people who know Mexico and have been visiting here for many years may have a clear idea about where they want to live.  The place is known to them, they might already have an established network of acquaintances, friends, and contacts there; they are probably familiar with the location and the areas surrounding it, and they might even own a home there already which they have been using for extended visits without having moved to Mexico to live full-time.

Others may have some outline thoughts and ideas about the different regions, and some limited experience of having visited some places in Mexico. Some people will be approaching Mexico for the first time, with little or no prior knowledge of the country.

This article highlights and explores key factors and choices to contemplate as you consider short listing potential places to live or considering whether places you already know will be suitable for your lifestyle needs.

Key factors to consider when you’re researching places to live in Mexico

For many people, choosing a place to live in Mexico can be something of a blank canvass.  Our detailed article about matching your lifestyle needs with your location provides helpful foundational guidance that will help you to consider places beyond their notoriety or current popularity.

Key factors are summarized in the section below; and by connecting to our related articles and guides, you’ll be able to begin your search in earnest for potential places to live here.

Our series on places to live, work or retire in Mexico summarizes a list of specific locations to discover and consider.

Local climate and seasons

The climate and seasons are key factors you should consider when you’re exploring potential places to live in Mexico.  Places you visited on vacation might be fine for short periods, or during certain seasons; ideally, seek out locations that offer climates which will be agreeable to you and your intended lifestyle activities year-round.  Our article, land of three lands, describes Mexico’s three principal climate zones, and our article, hot coasts, cool colonial cities, describes the contrasts between living along the coastal plains and living in the highlands.

Consider the local topography

Also consider the topography—the terrain matters because it affects climate, accessibility, and practical matters like getting around and adjusting to living at elevation.

Mexico’s beautiful mountain towns are quaint and picturesque, but some of them are literally built-in to the side of a mountain and feature steep roads and sidewalks. In some mountain towns, houses are constructed on several ‘terraced levels’ to compensate for the steep terrain on which they are built.

The beautiful colonial cities of Guanajuato and Taxco are good examples of this.  If you have or develop any mobility issues, these sorts of places can be, or become, physically challenging to live in.

You might also to consider how you will cope with living at elevation; most people can adjust to living in thinner air, but you ought to keep this in mind if you’re moving from a low-elevation area to living a mile or higher up on a mountain.

Choosing between urban, semi-urban, and rural locations

Another key element to consider is whether you want to live in an urban, semi-urban, or rural location in Mexico.

Mexico’s cities offer all the services and amenities most foreign residents need and are also the most crowded.

Semi-rural locations are generally small or medium sized towns within a 30-to-60-minute drive of a big town or city.

Rural Mexico is unlike rural towns and villages in the US and Europe, for example; it offers some outstanding opportunities for picturesque countryside living, but it will require you to make some compromises and organize your lifestyle routines somewhat differently than if you are in a larger town or city.

The value of good a real estate agent

Working with a local real estate agent, especially when you’re buying a home, can be a worthwhile investment. Well established realty agents carry a wealth of local knowledge, and the best ones have lived and worked at the location they represent for several years or more.  A good local agent can apply their experience to give you invaluable insights and assistance in finding a home, and settling-in by connecting you to local contacts and helping you to make new acquaintances some of which might evolve into new friendships.

Speaking Spanish is important, regardless of location

It’s quite hard to live in Mexico and operate effectively on a day-to-day basis if you don’t speak at least some Spanish.

Living in or near a community of foreign residents will provide you with an immediate support network and there will be people there who can ‘show you the ropes’ and interpret for you if you are new in Mexico and speak little or no Spanish to start.  However, not all places that you might want to live in Mexico offer this, and so being able to converse in Spanish becomes essential.

Being able to converse in the local language offers access to the culture and enriches your overall experience of any foreign country. You will enjoy Mexico a lot more if you take some time to learn, or improve, your Spanish language skills.

Mexperience offers resources including an entire series of articles that help you to get acquainted with the context and nuances of Mexican Spanish language in everyday usage, and shares connections to language learning online, and at schools in Mexico.

Choosing between expat, local, and gated communities

When you have chosen a location to move to in Mexico, you will have three broad choices regarding the type of community and neighborhood you live in; these are:

Expat community locations: to live among other foreign residents, in well-established locations that are popular and often concentrated with other foreign residents; or

Gated communities: to live as part of a gated community that is most likely to be home for a mix of foreign residents and Mexicans; or

Traditional neighborhood: to live in traditional local Mexican neighborhoods.

Expat community locations

If you choose to live in a location that is popular and well-established with other foreign residents, —Lake Chapala, San Miguel de Allende, and Puerto Vallarta are prime examples— you’ll likely find yourself living in a neighborhood or area that has a relatively high concentration of other foreign residents living there, too.

This can provide excellent social and practical support, especially during your settling-in period, and can be enormously helpful as you begin to make new acquaintances and friends and need advice about contacts for services and amenities that you want or need locally.

You also have the advantage of moving into a mature community that has well-structured and organized groups and local societies that address many of the needs and interests of foreign residents.  They also provide helpful opportunities to meet socially with people who share your language and culture.

Many foreign residents move to these well-established places and cultivate thriving lifestyles there. The higher demand for these locations means that you are likely to pay a premium for property—whether you rent or buy.

A potential risk of creating a dependent lifestyle in these places is that you might settle yourself into some form of ‘lifestyle bubble’ that is somewhat removed from everyday Mexico and by design limits your social circles—but it doesn’t have to be this way: plenty of people enjoy the benefits of living in communities heavily populated by foreign residents and integrate constructively with local people, culture, and events; learning (or improving) your Spanish is a key skill in this respect.

Living in gated communities

Regardless of whether you live in a location that has an established community of foreign residents already living there, or somewhere less popular with foreigners, most towns and all cities offer the choice of living in a ‘gated community’—a private complex of residential homes that might also feature some shared spaces for social gatherings and other residential amenities like swimming pools, children’s play areas, sports facilities, gyms, and roof gardens.

Most condo units are part of a gated community. Our Guide to Real Estate in Mexico describes the types of homes available in Mexico, including those inside gated communities.

These gated communities offer several advantages, especially regarding management and security, as most of the matters related to maintenance, utilities, and upkeep are managed on behalf of the owners (or tenants) in exchange for a monthly Homeowners Association (HOA) fee.

The ratio of foreigners to Mexicans living in gated communities varies greatly and depends on the location, the locale, and the gated community itself.  If there is a strong contingent of foreign residents living there already, you might find connections there to expat groups, societies, and events through meeting your neighbors and local notice boards or private online social media groups run by the residents.

In gated communities where foreign residents are not highly concentrated, you can still make new connections and get involved in local community activities through meeting your new neighbors, kindling acquaintances, and developing new friendships.  Being neighborly is also an ideal way to improve your Spanish and many Mexicans enjoy talking with foreigners so that they can practice and improve their English.

Living in local Mexican neighborhoods

Some foreign residents seeking a place to live in Mexico might consciously make a choice to avoid places that already have strong contingents of other foreign residents living there; choosing instead to seek less popular places and to live in traditional Mexican neighborhoods where few other foreigners are likely to live in the immediate vicinity.

Most (but not all) foreigners who choose to live within the heart of a local Mexican community will know Mexico already, and their choice of community will come about either through knowing the location where you’ve chosen to live, or perhaps through having rented a home locally for a while and explored potential local options before deciding.

Some people who move to Mexico are more intrepid and carry within them the motivation and character to beat a new path for themselves and thrive without the need for a location already established by foreign residents, or within the managed structure of a gated community.  They might or might not know Mexico well; and some might live with Mexican partners or family here, which facilitates a move into a traditional Mexican neighborhood environment.

Property prices (rentals and purchases) are generally lower in local Mexican communities than in locations already settled with a high concentration of foreign residents.

Cultivating a lifestyle within a Mexican local community will require you to have a good-enough command of the Spanish language to be able to operate, especially regarding finding a house to rent or buy locally and maintaining that property—that you will also have to manage yourself.  Our guide about home maintenance and security offers in-depth practical tips for doing that.

You’ll also need to assimilate Mexican social culture more quickly, and possibly without the aid of other foreign residents nearby providing their personal experience and guidance; our free guide to social etiquette offers an excellent primer.

Factors that may influence your location shortlist

When you have considered what is influencing your choices about a places to live and undertaken some research of specific places to live, the next logical step is to compile a shortlist of places that you would consider moving to in Mexico.

Most people’s shortlist will likely be influenced by these significant factors:

Familiarity

Familiarity of the location(s) and area(s) is important.  If you have visited the location before, and recently enough, —perhaps on vacation— you will already have a feel for the place, and possibly a sense about whether it might be suitable as a place to live, work or retire.  Some additional research to discover its year-round climate (not just the seasons you have experienced there) and how it compares to your lifestyle intentions and requirements, will help you to determine whether any places already familiar to you in Mexico might be potential options for a location to live.

Environment type

Having established whether you want to live in an urban, semi-urban, or a rural location, you can further refine your options and filter your list on that basis.

Coastal plain or colonial highland

If you have decided that you want to be on or near the coast, or living inland at elevation, then that will provide another filter to narrow your choices; if you are open to coast or inland (highland) living, then your ultimate choice is likely to be determined by other factors —for examples, the availability of local services and amenities, and community connections— instead of climate.

Health, amenities, accessibility, communications, and schools

Other key factors you ought to consider include local access to health and clinical services, (especially if you have an existing medical condition and may require urgent assistance); access to local amenities that are important to you, e.g., stores, gyms, leisure or local community facilities, art and culture centers; proximity to transport hubs if you intend to travel a lot (e.g., airport); access to reliable telephony and internet services, especially if you intend to work professionally from home; and the availability of educational establishments if you have school-age children.  Our article about matching your location with your needs describes these things in detail.

Exploring places to live in Mexico

Our series about places to live and work or retire provides a list of key locations to discover and consider.

The references below offer further connections to helpful and insightful articles and guides that can help you to carefully consider significant matters as you discover and explore places to live in Mexico, consider key decision-making factors and, using that knowledge, compile a shortlist of locations for review.

Further research and resources

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource of information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.  Resources include:

• Articles about lifestyle planning in Mexico
• Discover places to live in Mexico
• Principal routes to legal residency in Mexico
• Latest articles about lifestyles in Mexico
• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free